Bell-buoy



(No Model.)

v J. M. BA-BBITT, P. F. 001) 851A. DOUD,

BELL BUOY.

III:

w g Mm VW/ a? limrsn STATES PATENT rica.

JOSEPH M. BABBITT, PATRICK F. WOOD, AND JOHN A. DOUD, OF NEW BED- FORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BELL-BUOY- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,039, dated May 28, 1895.

Application filed February 16,1895. Serial No. 538,658- (No model.) A

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH M. BABBITT, PATRICK F. W001), and JOHN A. Donn, citizens of the United States, residing at Newv Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bell-Buoys, of which the following is a specification.

Ouiinvention relates to the mechanism, which causes the bell of a bell-buoy to sound, when the buoy is oscillated by the waves; and it consists in a series of ribs, radiating from a common center, having their outer ends curving upward, and adapted to be socured in the mouth of the bell; and a ball, adapted to roll on,and be supported between any two adjacent ribs, and strike the bell before its center of gravity has passed beyond the upwardly curved ends of said ribs.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention, in which- Figure l is a side view of a portion of the top of a buoy with the bell-frame and bell supported thereon and showing a portion of the bell broken away to show our improved bell-striking mechanism secured in the mouth thereof. Fig. 2 is a view of our improvement in vertical section, showing the ball thereon in the act of striking a section of the bell, and showing the whole in the inclined position it would assume when the buoy was oscillated by the actionof the waves. Fig. 3 is a plan view of our improvement, showing the ball thereon. Fig. 4 is aside View of a section of our improvement, showing the relative size of the ball to the space between the outer ends of the ribs.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

The letter a, indicates a of a bell-buoy.

6, indicates the bell-frame secured thereon; and c, indicates the bell, hung in the top thereof, all in the usual manner.

Secured to the bell-frame, in the mouth of portion of the top the hell 0, is our improved bell-striking mechsufficient momentum to carry it up the incline of the outer ends of the ribs, and again strike the bell, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, where the ball after striking the bell, will recede down the incline of the outer ends of the ribs 9, and assume the position shown by the dotted lines it. i

In the ordinary bell striking mechanism, the table on which the ball rolls is solid from side to'side, and nearly fills the mouth of the bell. Consequently the sound is greatly muf fled; but in ourinvention, the spaces between the ribs are open for the free passage of the sound from the bell. Moreover, the spaces being thus open, neither snow nor ice can find lodgment suflicient to render the operation of the bell ineffective. In the ordinary bell striking mechanism, a series of springs are secured to the edge of the table, to cause the ball to recoil after striking the bell and hold it from contact therewith, and said springs are constantly breaking and getting out of order, or becoming clogged with snow and ice, thereby rendering the bell inoperative to a large extent, if not wholly so; but in our invention, the ball after striking the bell, is held from contact therewith, by the sharp in cline of the outer ends of the ribs on which it rolls.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In a bell-buoy, a bell-striking device, consisting of a series of ribs radiating from a common center, having their outer ends curved upward, adapted to be secured in the mouth of the bell; and a ball, adapted to roll on, and

be supported by any two adjacent ribs, and

JOSEPH M. BABBITT. PATRICK F. WOOD. JOHN A. DOUD.

Witnesses:

THOMAS A. Conn, JAMES B. HAMLIN, GHAs. H. PEETS. 

